Traveling by air can be stressful. Some passengers may think it is better to wait until the last minute to board an aircraft, and that it saves time and is less stressful. This may work if a passenger has no carry-on luggage, it’s a quiet flight with few passengers, and you want to minimize time sitting down. However, it is not advised for many practical reasons, including the gate being closed early and missing the flight completely.
This strategy can have many disadvantages, not just to the passenger, but also to other passengers, the flight attendants and the ground staff. If you want a safe, efficient, and comfortable flight with fewer issues, it is better to board early. Here are some of the reasons that you should never board the aircraft last.
Stowing Your Baggage
One of the most important things to consider when boarding an aircraft later in the process is that it is likely that you will be separated from your luggage. With more and more carry-on luggage being brought onto aircraft, there are fewer spaces left in the overhead lockers. It is often like a game of Jenga for flight attendants, trying to fit all the passengers’ luggage onboard. Overhead lockers also contain crew bags, safety equipment, and amenities such as blankets and cushions.
There is no guaranteed space for luggage above your seat, and boarding last means that your bag will be stowed wherever there is a space, which could be at the back of the aircraft, when you are seated at the front. This might be inconvenient during the flight, and after the flight, you may have to wait until everyone has disembarked to retrieve your bag. Overhead lockers are first-come, first-served and are filled rapidly.
Other than this, if there is no space onboard for your bag, it will be offloaded and placed in the hold instead. This means more chance of the luggage being mishandled as it’s not designed to be checked in the hold and may be less secure as hand luggage is not always locked. This can also mean more time in baggage reclaim than was originally planned.
The Boarding Process
Being late at the gate means that the ground staff may close the flight, and you might miss the flight entirely. Some airports have also stopped the calls for boarding for a quieter airport experience, so a passenger may be unaware that they are even late. The ground staff are trying to close the flight as quickly as possible for an on-time departure. Late boarding slows everything down, and it is harder for the crew to do any pre-flight service and start their safety checks in the cabin.
Being late is not only inconvenient for staff and passengers, but it can also delay the flight, which costs airlines thousands of dollars every minute delayed. If there is any issue with the seat, for example, it is broken, or the in-flight entertainment is not working, these issues may not be resolved easily at the last minute. Sometimes the flight attendants may move passengers to other seats, for example, so that a family can sit together, which means a late passenger might not be in their original seat.
Onboard the aircraft, being late creates bottlenecks during boarding, the aisles on the aircraft become crowded and uncomfortable, and if seated in the window or middle seat, passengers already seated may have to stand up to let you move into your seat. If a passenger is traveling on an airline with no assigned seats, it is an advantage to board early to get their preferred seat and find space for their carry-on luggage easily.
Should Overhead Bin Space Be Guaranteed For Everyone?
Travelers often experience increased stress and anxiety about the possibility of having to check their carry-on luggage involuntarily.
Safety Checks
Safety checks are a huge part of the flight attendant’s job, and before each flight, thorough safety and security checks take place, ensuring that the aircraft has no risk to safety in normal or abnormal flights. This also means checking all the safety equipment onboard and ensuring everything is fit for purpose. Once these are complete, passenger boarding starts.
As soon as the last passenger arrives, the door is closed, so a late passenger can cause issues by delaying the safety demonstration and subsequent safety checks. Once all passengers are seated, the cabin safety demonstration can be completed either by the crew or on the in-flight entertainment system. Once this is complete, the cabin is secured by the flight attendants. All luggage is stowed correctly, and overhead lockers are closed, and the aircraft is usually taxiing at this time.
The flight attendants secure their area by checking passenger seatbelts, making sure any loose items are stowed, window blinds are up, and the floor is free of obstruction. Passenger safety is key, and the crew aims to make every flight a safe and efficient one. Once the cabin is secured, the flight attendants report back to their senior crew member, who, in turn, reports that the cabin is secure to the flight deck. The crew takes their seats and prepares for take-off.
Operational Aspects
There are also operational aspects to being late as a passenger. As mentioned earlier, the aircraft won’t wait for the final passengers as it incurs costs, and an on-time departure is crucial. This is important for customer loyalty, operational efficiency and the positive perception of the airline. Delays impact productivity, and delays cost airlines thousands of dollars every year.
If the aircraft is swapped for operational reasons and the flight is moved to another aircraft type, your seat may not exist or be reassigned elsewhere. If there is a weight and balance issue onboard, passengers who arrive late are more likely to be taken off the flight by ground staff at the boarding gate and be put on a later flight instead.
If a flight is overbooked, passengers who board late are likely to be denied boarding. Airlines often sell more tickets for a flight than there are seats available, which maximizes capacity and minimizes profit loss from no-shows or last-minute cancellations. When this happens, passengers are ‘bumped’ off a flight. Sometimes, there are benefits to being ‘bumped’ off a flight, if a passenger volunteers, but this would not apply to a passenger who has arrived late.
Is It Really Necessary To Arrive At The Airport 3 Hours Early?
While it may seem trivial, a lot of stress can be avoided by being prepared and arriving early at the airport.
Safety Demonstration
Boarding late can be more stressful than boarding early and gives passengers time to settle in and become aware of their surroundings. This might include where the nearest lavatory is and the nearest emergency exit. It is also advised that passengers count the number of seat rows to the exit, as in an evacuation, it is likely that it will be dark and smoky, and passengers may lose their bearings easily in an unfamiliar environment.
The safety demonstration is a very important part of the flight, although many passengers often tend to ignore it. This is vital information that passengers will need in an emergency situation or evacuation. Of course, passengers don’t want to think about an emergency or plan for one, but they should be aware that anything can occur at any time. The flight attendants and flight crew are fully trained to deal with such events and know what actions to take, and consistently practice, rehearse and discuss them.
Flight attendants will then proceed to check that the cabin is completely safe for take-off. They also complete the same check before landing. Arriving late to the aircraft will probably mean that the passenger is less situationally aware, should there be an emergency and is less likely to take note of the safety demonstration or the instructions of the crew. This also puts other passengers around them at risk.
The Bottom Line
Being late for boarding is not advised for many reasons, mostly due to not having your luggage near you and potentially losing your place on the flight. For operational reasons, passengers who board late have less priority should circumstances change, which can be due to things like overbooking or an aircraft alteration. The only advantage is if you have no luggage at all and there are not many passengers booked onto the flight.
Being late is often more stressful than being early, and boarding last can cause delays to the flight and closing the aircraft door. Cabin Crew want to complete their checks as quickly and efficiently as possible, but these checks are to ensure the cabin is secure and non-negotiable. They cannot do these until all passengers are seated and the safety demonstration has been completed.
For passengers, it is generally a better experience to board a flight early and not have last-minute stress or issues. Not everyone agrees, and there will always be passengers arriving at the last minute, but the sooner everyone is onboard and all safety-related tasks are complete, the sooner we can prepare for take-off and get the flight underway.
